Come get in the game. Learn Morse Code.

It truly baffles me why people are searching the internet for Morse Code related searches. I see people searching for particular Morse Code strings ALL the time!

With that said, I’m going to go ahead and translate some of the most commonly typed Morse Code translations on the web. Here they are!

1. .– . / — .- .. .-.. . -.

This translates to “we mailen.” What the heck does that mean? I can only assume a few things from this – either the people who type this have miss spelled something, or perhaps its a different language. Does anyone have any ideas to help me out?

2. …. . .-.. .–. / — . / .–. .-.. . .- … .

Yeah, this Morse Code search query is pretty odd – and a wee bit creepy. This Morse Code string translates into, “Help Me Please.” With that said, its a little scary – are people just practicing Morse Code because they may need it in the future? I’m not entirely sure. Anyone want to chime in here?

3. …..-….

This is complete gyberish. Nothing at all is in this Morse Code string. Fools

4. …- .- .- .-. .– . .-..

Here’s another interesting one. This Morse Code string is actually translated to, “Vaarwel”, which I had no clue was even a word until now. After a quick Google search, I discovered that “Vaarwel” actually means, “Goodbye” or “Farewell.” It seems to be a dutch word. Why people are typing this via Morse Code, I’ll never know.

5. .. .- — .- .-.. .. …- .

This is “I am alive” in Morse Code. Woot woot, I’m alive too!!!!

6. …. . .-.. .-..

What the hell? Hehe, OK, pun intended. This means, “Hell”, but I’m sure people were looking for …. . .-.. .-.. — which is, “Hello.”

Interestingly enough, I’ve just come across some great software to help learn Morse Code. I tried this software out, and it seems pretty good!

While everything is going on in Egypt right now, the question arises – are Egyptians turning to Morse Code to communicate with the outside world? I have been trying to do some research, and it seems like people are constantly talking about Egyptians and Morse Code and Egypt using Ham Radio, but I can’t find anything to support that. I was on my Ham Radio last night, and I did hear a TON of activity on 40 meters, but I’m not sure if it was just a contest or what.

With that said – even if Egypt has not turned to Morse Code to communicate with each other or the outside world, the question arises – what would you do if our government were to shut down all communication methods?

You’d better believe I’d turn on my Ham radio and start pounding out some Morse Code to my fellow Hams!

Alright, alright, enough about me and my love for Morse Code – here’s the link to download the software I found to learn Morse Code. If you do like it, let me know.

Speak Morse Code is a web based application designed to give you the ability to both learn Morse Code as well as interact with others. Based off of an idea by Bryan Campbell and Andrew Hallinan, this tool will be available to the public soon.

What really motivated use to create this tool was a heartfelt letter from Esther Medina concerning her son, who was the victim of a gunshot wound to the head which made him unable to speak and almost completely paralyzed. Here is Esther’s letter:

Hi,

After searching everywhere for some way for my son, Phillip, to communicate I would like to explore the possibility of using Morse code. Phillip was a victim of a gunshot wound to the left side of head. He is very aware of his surroundings, basically it is the motor skills that he lost. He cannot speak and his only usable hand (left-he was right handed) is very awkward and hard to pinpoint his finger on a key or small button. His eyes do not track together well so visual inputs are out. I tried sign language alphabet which he learned and knows very well but his hand is unable to correctly form a quickly recognizable letter for many but the simplest letter signs. He can only stretch the index and thumb.

He can hit an ipad screen button if it is large (such as 2 – 3 on a screen.) So I am imagining him hit one button for a dit and another for a dah and one for end of word… 3 buttons in all.

The problem is how can it be translated since the hospital staff at the subacute where he lives will probably not learn Morse code. Is there an app/program that can interpret? He has been without a voice for 6 years now and am so afraid that when I go (I am 65 yrs and he is 42) he will be left without a voice and no one really taking the time to see what his pointings and gestures mean.

I will google these questions myself but perhaps you can offer suggestions on learning (he has a good memory) and interpreting his messages.

Prior to the modern radio days, when a ship was out of visual range of land or another vessel, they were pretty much completely isolated and unable to communicate. That is until the introduction of wireless Morse Code! Wireless telegraphers used Morse Code to send and receive messages from ship to ship or ship to shore.

By 1904, many ships were set up with Morse Code capabilities. …–––… was created as a way to send a distress call fast.

It had the following attributes:
• Anyone would remember it
• It could not be misinterpreted
• It was easy to send and listen to

It does not mean “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls” and was actually only a Morse Code distress call.
…–––…

Morse code is a way of transmitting individual characters through a standardized pattern of dots or dashes to a listener or observer. It was developed by Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), an American painter and inventor. Morse became particularly interested in electricity around 1872 and was from this time period that the electric telegraph was invented. Since outdated, the telegraph is a communication system that transmits electric signals over wires from location to location with the intent of communicating a message.

Originally messages that needed to be delivered over great distances had to be delivered by messengers who carried them in writing or could recite them from memory. Due to the time constraints of this type of horse-driven delivery system it was no wonder Morse was successful for helping to expedite this process. In fact by 1851 the United States had over 50 telegraph companies most of which used technology that held Morse patents.

Morse code was sent over a series of electrical signals referred to as dits and dahs. The short signals are referred to as dits and are represented by dots. The long signals are referred to as dahs and are represented as dashes. Morse code and its interpretation are based on defined time intervals that define characters, time between characters, and time between words. As such the speed of transmitting Morse code is measured in words per minute (WPM) just as in typing. A savvy Morse code operator is said to be able to transmit and receive information at between 20-30 WPM. Learn Morse Code.

To transmit messages, operators use the electric telegraph to tap out Morse code. Because each character, letter or number, is represented by defined codes it was possible for the transmitter to send electrical impulses over wires so that a receiver could decipher them. The original machine would produce codes onto a piece of paper and then was modified to emboss the paper with dots and dashes.

The device became famous in 1838 but was not put to use by the US congress until some five years later. The first experimental telegraph was then funded to be transmitted from Washington to Baltimore. After the results of a Whig national party nomination on May 1, 1844 the first news to be sent of electric telegraph was transmitted through part of the finished telegraph line. Hand-carried news reached a point between the two cities where Morse’s partner wired it to the Capital. It’s message? “What hath God wrought?”

Wow, I found this cool new way to learn Morse Code. I’m not sure what it’s called, and I wish it was around when I learned Morse Code, but it’s pretty awesome.

Basically, Morse Code can be learned pretty easily visually. Once you have the visual Morse Code learned pretty well, you then need to start LISTENING for Morse Code. (You can look on the products section of this website to find kits and the such to help you learn to listen to Morse Code…)

I learned Morse Code out of an encyclopedia. It took me only about 2 hours of actual memorization. We used to pass noted in grade school written in Morse Code, and the coding/decoding also helped me to learn and retain it.

Anyways, back to the cool new way of learning Morse Code – check out this image:

Learn Morse Code the Visual Way

If you memorize each letter individually, and then think back to it later, it’ll be somewhat easier to learn Morse Code. The only problem is timing – for instance, look at the Y. Y in Morse Code is “-.–” which is said, “dah-dit-dah-dah.” It’s tough to see in the picture above that the Morse Code Y should be that way, but at least you know that there are three lines and one dash, or three dah’s and one dit.

Morse code was first used to communicate more than 160 years ago when it was created and adapted to use as a simple, quick, and straightforward way of communicating over the telegraph. All this for the purpose of being able to communicate (though limited) over long distances, practically instantly. Also known as CW, is the language of the telegraph, which relays communications through the combination of electronic sound. In the case of Morse code, two sounds (known as dits and dahs) are used in different combinations to represent each letter of the roman alphabet. When written, the dits and dahs, short and long sounds, are signified by dots and dashes. One huge advantage to CW is that it can be used to communicate and interpreted through many different mediums by using sound, touch, and light, enabling long-distance or even silent communication. The only requirement: the pattern of dits and dahs is kept constant, over the years, distances, and mediums used.

While many people think dits and dahs are practically an ancient way of communicating, in reality there are still many people in this modern time who learn and know CW. And some of those people have brought up the idea of incorporating Morse code into the modern and heavily used technology of cell phones.

Ringtones

One of the first ideas that comes to mind, that would be the most universal in usage for those who both learn and know Morse code, is by turning the audio use of dits and dahs into a ringtone. There are currently websites available that have mp3 format audio files of individualized dits and dahs with thousands of common names and other everyday contact list entries (such as “home”, “work”, “school”, etc). Or, combine any three characters to make up an “audio monogram”, as it were. This “audio monogram” would be most effect for those who learn Morse code who have multiple friends with the same name. Learn Morse code to use a very sophisticated from of caller id.

Other Cell Phone Alerts

Other reasons to learn Morse code and then apply that knowledge to your cell phone can extend to the other various alerts phones give off besides incoming call ringtones. Audio dits and dahs could also be used to let an cell phone owner know they have a new voicemail, text message, or something on their calendar.

Silent Vibrations

As mentioned before, because Morse code can also be communicated through touch, all the afore-mentioned uses of audio dits and dahs on a cell phone can also be extended to the vibrating ringtone phone profile. Where a normal cell phone is much more limited on the vibrating setting than on the normal ringtone setting, by using Morse code, the vibrating profile setting would not limit what is trying to be communicated to the owner.

What better way to learn Morse code than through a medium most people use multiple times a day. As the old saying goes “practice, practice, practice”, and turning a cell phone, something that is so heavily used and relied upon by many people, into a means of practice is a brilliant idea.

When I was about 11 or 12 years old, I would come home from school to my father pounding away on a straight or paddle key sending Morse Code back and forth to some person from an unknown destination. I always wanted to know how to send and receive Morse Code, but I was never able to understand.

One day, I asked my father, “How do I learn Morse Code?” He sent me over the the Encyclopedia Britannica set that we have, and I studied Morse Code for days. I memorized the dots and dashes and was able to quickly learn Morse Code easily.

I was able to write down the entire Morse Code alphabet, but learning to hear Morse Code was a totally different story. Learning Morse Code by ear was much harder than learning Morse Code by looking at it from an encyclopedia! The only problem was that I learned the wrong version of Morse Code, and I had to re-learn the entire thing!

Today, it’s much easier to learn Morse code, especially since you can now learn Morse Code online!